Picture Publisher 8.0

by Micrografx

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00002S86M
• Item model number: PP1L80ENG
• Date first available at Amazon.com: May 10, 2002
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #14,511 in Software (See Top 100 in Software)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

Affordable feature-rich software is a rare thing; even when it surfaces, it's perceived as something incapable of yielding professional results. Micrografx Picture Publisher 8.0 proves this perception wrong by providing a complete tool set for image editing at a cost that's far below that of the competition.

In addition to the usual assortment of filters, selection tools, and masking tools that commonly are found in all bitmap editors, Picture Publisher 8.0 features several integrated tools for the Web designer. A built-in GIF animation tool allows for easy painting or editing on each frame of a GIF, and a palette optimization tool helps reduce the size of a Web graphic without having to sacrifice quality.

A favorite tool--worth the cost of the entire program--is an interactive pattern maker. Making seamless tiles for Web graphics, 2-D graphics, or as a decal for 3-D graphics is sometimes difficult, but this tool allows you to view the tiled pattern in a larger window, while a smaller window contains the source tile that is being edited. Updates in the larger window occur automatically as changes are made to the small tile.

There are drawbacks to using Picture Publisher 8.0. For example, while it can do many of the things that Adobe Photoshop--the industry standard--can do, it is not Photoshop. While this isn't a problem for someone who needs a good tool for image editing and graphics, it might be a problem for someone who hopes to use the tool in a large shop. Some shops don't like to spend time or money on training; and, if you don't use what they use, you're out of luck.

However, Picture Publisher 8.0 is an economical alternative to higher-priced graphics software. It is a rich, full-featured package that meets the needs of the vast majority of Windows graphics designers. Built-in file-format compatibility with Adobe Photoshop means that compatibility is a minor issue, and its ability to use Photoshop plug-ins provides a means of expansion. Picture Publisher 8.0 is indeed a worthwhile, affordable, and alternative image-editing application. --Mike Caputo

Amazon.com Product Description

Micrografx Picture Publisher 8 makes creating graphics fast and easy with exclusive cutting-edge features and comprehensive functionality for professional image editing. Picture Publisher 8 improves on the previous version by further incorporating Microsoft Office 97's compatible interface, automated wizards, tutorials, and tool presets. The addition of substantial new Web functionality helps address the complexities of Internet graphics, including Web-style templates, an integrated animated GIF editor, progressively rendered JPEGs, advanced palette control features, and the Web Output Wizard.

Features of Picture Publisher 8 include 10,000 royalty-free stock photos and clip-art images; 500 seamless Internet textures; 250 TrueType fonts; 140 effects, filters, and prerecorded creative macros; 55 import/export file formats; 40 Web-page templates; and 30 interactive wizards and online tutorials. This application is recommended for use on Windows 95 or NT.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

60 of 63 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best buy for $ or less, December 6, 1999

By 

Diane K. Goldstein (Connecticut) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Picture Publisher 8.0 (CD-ROM)

Actually, I'm Diane's husband. I own and operate all of the "easy format" programs such as Photo Suite II, Picture It, Adobe Photoshop Deluxe 3.0 etc. After often being frustrated by the inability to manipulate something in a personal way, I decided upon returning to a package that I had sampled years ago. Apparently, MicroGrafix has decided to compete with the low end products but has offered a high end product for the same price. It doesn't take you by the hand, but the basics are easily accessable. You won't find greeting card projects or collages but you will find an incredible amount of flexibility and special effects not found in the other $50 packages. If you really want to be creative, this package deserves a look. It has it all and for the price, it's a steal.

37 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars best bang for the buck, February 25, 2000

By 

David M. Kunze (Saint Ignace, Michigan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Picture Publisher 8.0 (CD-ROM)

I have and use both Adobe Photoshop (stupidly expensive and very difficult to use) and Mircrografx Picture Publisher 8. Picture Publisher does 99.99% of what Photoshop does at less than 10% of the cost. In addition, PP8 is Microsoft Office compatible and almost (not entirely, but close) seamless with Office. The toolbars look the same and the icons perform the same functions as Office. PP8 is easier to use than Photoshop and more intuitive. There is still a learning curve but it is shorter and not nearly as steep. I find myself turning to PP8 more often than all of my other photo editing programs combined (Arcsoft Photo Studio, Microsoft Photo Editor, Adobe Photo Deluxe and Microsoft Picture It!).

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is how software should be in a perfect world!, April 20, 2000

By 

Steven E. Romer "Author -- The Textbook of th... (Woodstock) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Picture Publisher 8.0 (CD-ROM)

I have several image-editing programs including Adobe, but this one is the one I use the most! It is easy to use, fast, and does it all for unbelievably little money. Makes great web pictures and backgrounds. Does everything from 3-channel brightness and contrast control to saturation and color separation. Resizing is a breeze which makes E-mailing pictures fast and easy! Mask, cut, paste are excellent too.